Monday, August 30, 2010

An internal investigation blames the disastrous blowout ofthe Macondo Well on a faulty interpretation of pressure tests by BP engineers.

According to published reports, the test on April 20 showed dangerously high pressure in the well, but the engineers mistakenly made a decision to pump in seawater instead of drilling mud to contain the eruption of natural gas andcrude petroleum that followed.

Seawater is lighter than natural gas, drilling mud andcrude.

As a result, 11 men lost their lives, more than 4 million barrels of crude spewed out into the Gulf, and beaches, bays and marshes were heavily damaged from Grand Isle to Panama City, along with aquatic creatures.

The internal probe questioned why BP engineer John Guidedisregarded warnings of a potential blowout from contractorHalliburton Co. and why managers failed to test for flaws inthe cement outside the well that was intended to keepnatural gas from forcing the blowout.

Though BP's attorneys have tried to put at least some blameon Halliburton and Transocean, the key players on the rigwith those two concerns have steadfastly denied anywrongdoing. They say they were complying with orders fromBP's staff.